Mihkel Lüdig

Mihkel Lüdig (born 27 Apriljul / May 9 1880greg in Vaskrääma, Governorate of Livonia, today rural community Paikuse, Pärnu County, Estonia, .. † May 7, 1958 in Vändra ) was an Estonian composer.

Life

Mihkel Lüdig was born in the large family of a forester. He was enthusiastic about early music. The age of six he took thanks to the support of a local factory lessons with the organist Pärnu Max Peters and played the organ in the Pärnu Nikolai Church. You quickly became aware of the talented boy.

From 1897 he took organ lessons at the Moscow Conservatory with the Latvian organists Ludvig Bētiņš. Lüdig then studied due to the illness of his teacher from 1898 to 1904 at the Conservatory of St. Petersburg in the class of Louis Homilius. He took courses in music theory and composition with Nikolai Solovyov, Nikolai Rinski - Korsakov and Glazunov.

After studying Lüdig worked as a director of various Estonian choirs in the Russian capital. In addition, he was the successor of Rudolf Tobias organist in the Lutheran John's Church, a center of the Estonian town of Sankt Petersburg. At the same time, he worked as a pianist in the symphony orchestra of Count Nikolai Sheremetev and as an expert in the Petersburg piano factory in Offenbach. 1908 Lüdig organized in St. Petersburg, the first symphony concert, which only works Estonian composers were performed.

From 1904 Lüdig came with his first wife, the singer Mathilde Lüdig - Sinkel, on concerts in St. Petersburg, Moscow and Estonia. Closely he remained connected to the music life in Estonia. In 1903 he was one of the leaders of the songs tags in Pärnu, 1906, he opened the new theater and concert hall Vanemuine in Tartu. 1910 led Lüdig the VII Estonian Song Festival in Tallinn. In 1911 he opened the theater and concert hall end position in Pärnu.

During the First World War Lüdig served in a military orchestra in Saint Petersburg.

With the revolution in Russia and the proclamation of Estonian independence, the family moved in 1918 Lüdig to Estonia. 1919 Lüdig was co-founded in Tallinn Tallinn Higher Music School (later Tallinn Conservatory ), which he directed until 1923. From 1920 to 1922 there was Lüdig lecturer for the subject organ. From 1918 to 1924 was Lüdig also organist at the Tallinn Karlskirche. In 1923 he founded with friends the corporation Esto - Muusika, one of the largest instruments and music shops in Estonia during the interwar period. In addition, he co-founded the music magazine Helikund, published once a month. With his wife he went in the 1920s on concert tours to Germany and France.

The mid- 1920s, Lüdig decided for financial reasons to emigrate to Argentina. But the time in Latin America proved to be a flop, as there was no concert organ in Argentina. Lüdig earned his living mainly as a bar pianist. From 1925 to 1928 he acted as the head of the German men's choir and music teacher in Buenos Aires. In Argentina he founded in 1926 the Estonian club.

1929 returned the health impugned Lüdig back to Estonia. He worked as a musician and music critic in Tallinn and Pärnu, from 1934 he lived in Vändra. 1940 Lüdig was appointed Honorary Professor of the Tallinn Conservatory. 1955, the award " People's Artist of the Estonian SSR " he was awarded.

Compositional work

Mihkel Lüdig has numerous works with folk Estonian composer impact, including more than fifty songs for chorus and solo pieces. Above all, his in 1904 for choir composed piece Koit ( " Dawn " ) on a text by Friedrich Kuhlbars has become a hallmark of Estonian Song Festivals.

Lüdig composed among other works two fantasy - overtures (1906, 1945), the symphonic poem St. John's Night (1910 ), two ballads for cello and symphony orchestra (1945, 1958), the suite Lembitu (1909 ) and a suite after Estonian folksongs (1955 ). Also Lüdigs incidental music to drama Ansomardis Murueide were known tütar (1901) and fragments of the opera Kalevipoeg yes Tuuslar to a libretto by Mägi O. (1908 ).

Private life

Mihkel Lüdig was married from 1904 with soprano Mathilde Lüdig - Sinkel ( 1882-1953 ). The marriage produced two sons were born, including the pianist and conductor Peeter Paul Lüdig ( 1906-1983 ). After the divorce, Mihkel Lüdig Olga Motus married ( 1886-1987 ).